The Specific Problem Identification With Rationale

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Body Mind Massage and Spa has been operating for 17 months. The business provides varied type of massage for example Thai traditional massage, Sport massage, Aromatic massage and Hot stone massage for instance. Moreover the business also provides a service of body scrub to customers as well. Body Mind Massage and Spa has two managers which are partnership who are running this business together. The business has both full-time and part-time staff. In last 3 months business has faced the problem of decreasing of customers continuously which has affected to business itself and staff s due to they get pay by customer.

The research aim is to search for reasons of business problem of Body Mind Massage and Spa. The research will identify the causes that lead to decreasing of customers which has impact to stability of company and staffs. After finding causes of problem the research will also provide solution and give recommendations to the company to solve problem and take opportunity from its strengths to improve operating procedure and other ways to obtaining and increasing a number of customers for benefit of business and staffs in the future.

The researcher has been working with Body Mind Massage and Spa as a part-time staff so a researcher has known about the problem that the company is having at the moment. The researcher is given permissions from managers to do research on their organization and they are willing to share information. This will make investigation, data gathering and analysis smooth, effective and affective.

This project is a prescription of 636 Applied Management which the researcher is a student of Diploma in Management needs to complete this paper. Furthermore, from investigation, the business problem identified on this project is relevant to Body Mind Massage and Spa may be related to the issue of resourcing. If the outcome of this project is positive, it will be beneficial to a researcher and Body Mind Massage and Spa.

The identified business problem is reasonably suitable to work on for the duration of the course since the research procedure can be made within the timeframe which is 18 weeks. A researcher has studied about solving problem techniques earlier on the qualification, so it s a good opportunity to use relevant techniques to solve identified business problem.

The researcher determined that the scope of the identified business problem to be neither too narrow nor too bored to study. The identified business problem is reasonably topical. Moreover, it has a clear statement of objectives or well-written questions of the problem or opportunity that writer intends to undertake to produce the report.

Part B

The specific problem identification with rationale

This research aim will be achieve by answering these questions.

What strategies Body Mind Massage and Spa need to apply to obtain the number of

customers.

Is staff’s service and performance affect to repeating of customers.

How Body Mind Massage and Spa can improve customer service.

What is the role of advertisement in communicating information and promotion of business.

What is the reason of poor customer service.

What are the management issues that effect to decreasing of customers.

Research questions 1,2,3,4 and 5 can be answered within the project timeframe.

Research question 6 cannot answered within the project timeframe

To address identified business problem has the opportunity to help Body Mind Massage and Spa to understand and aware of cause and effect of the problem that is customers has been decreasing continuously. As Body Mind Massage and Spa provides services to customers. As a result customer service and therapists performance could affect to repeating of customers. Furthermore, advertising is the efficient way to communicate with new group of customer if company does it with the right channel. If the project can find out the core problem that causes diminishing of customer, company can focus on accurate point to solve the problem and improve business strategies to operate more effectively and efficiency. Mention of these reasons can show that the problem that is being researched is relevant to Body Mind Massage and Spa.

Limitation of the research can be the scope of the problem is quite big and the cause of problem can be from any issues. If the researcher focuses on the wrong issue and use improper research mythology and instrument will lead to inaccurate information and the research outcome will not be useful for both business and a researcher.

Research Methods and Process

The primary research and qualitative analysis will be used for the project. Due to the scale of company is small which has less than 15 people in organisation; there is small number of respondents. The aim of project is to explore in depth and understand the topic so it is suitable to use qualitative analysis.

The procedure step that will be used to answer the research questions:

Design data collection form and questionnaires.

Determine sample plan and size

Review the record of customers to find out details of number and frequency of visiting. Also review business website and brochures.

Observation customer service process.

Interview managers about customer service procedure, staff performance, staff training, customers’ complaint and advertising channels they are using for their company.

Interview 7 staff about customer’s requirements, their responses to customers, customers’ complaint and customers’ satisfaction

Circulate questionnaires to 10 customers to find out the level of satisfaction after services and recommendation from customer

Summarize, analyze and interpret data from all research instruments

Prepare the research report

Problem solving techniques

Technique that will be used with this project is SWOT analysis because SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of organisation. By using this technique can help Body Mind Massage and Spa to identify and understand key issues affecting their business. They will know their weakness then try to improve on those issues also they will capitalise on opportunities and take advantage of their strengths. They could solve their problem and develop business goals and strategies to be more efficiency and effective.

Justification for choice and appropriateness of research instrument including observations of degree of accuracy of them

Documentation Review (Customer Record)

Review the record of customers to find out number of customer, customers’ details and frequency of customers’ visiting within one month.

Justification: Information already exists, get comprehensive and historical data, data can be re-checked. It does not interrupt procedure in work place and people from their routines. Disadvantage is Information may be incomplete and unclear.

Observation (Customer Service Procedure)

Observe staffs’ behaviors through customer service procedure and customers’ react.

Justification: This instrument can view operation of actual process so researcher will get accurate information about how staffs behave toward customers. Disadvantages are when staffs know that they are observed they may change their behaviors then information will not be accurate. Also it can be difficult to interpret staffs’ behaviors and customers’ feeling.

Interview (Manager A and Manager B)

Semi-structured interview with managers about Customer service procedure, staff performance, staff training, customers’ complaint and advertising channels they are using for their company.

Justification: Interviews allow getting full range and depth of information, more details. Information can be clearly understood because it is two-way conversational communication. It can be flexible with clients, more and other questions can be asked during the interview. Disadvantages are it can take much time because managers are normally busy may take some time to have free time for interview.

Interview (7 Staffs)

Semi-structured interview with staffs about customers’ requirement and their responses, also interview about frequency of staff training, customers’ complaint and customers’ satisfaction after services.

Justification: Same as no 3. Disadvantages are it can take much time because this instrument has to interrupt participant from their work so need to make time for interview. Also interviewer can bias client’s response

Questionnaire (10 customers; 5 regular customer and 5 new customers )

Questionnaires will be given to customer to fine out their satisfaction after service and issues they want business to improve. Ask about reason of coming regularly and the source of information of business (new customers).

Justification: This instrument can get a lot of data as administer to many people. Data is easy to compare and analysis. Advantages are may not get careful feedback from customers. Data may not complete data and full story.

Methods, sources and instruments will be triangulated to check accuracy

Observation

Triangulation

Surveys

Interview

A project plan including scope, resources and problem solving model

A list of resources require for the project

No

Resource

Details

1

People

Body Mind Massage and Spa Manager A

1

People

Body Mind Massage and Spa Manager B

1

People

Body Mind Massage and Spa Staffs

1

People

Body Mind Massage and Spa customers

2

Hardware

Computer

2

Hardware

Printer

3

Software

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel)

4

Communication

Internet

5

Document & Data

Customer record

5

Document & Data

Body Mind Massage and Spa brochures

5

Document & Data

Body Mind Massage and Spa website

6

Other

Office Stationary

6

Other

Transport

Weekly Project plan

Date

Research Project & Procedure Steps

8/1/13

(Week 1)

Choose a company

15/1/13

(Week 2)

Choose a topic

22/1/13

(Week 3)

Consult a tutor for topic and approval & Work on draft Proposal

29/1/13

(Week 4)

Work on draft Proposal

5/2/13

(Week 5)

Submit Project Proposal

12/2/13

(Week 6)

Design data collection form and questionnaires & Determine sample plan and size

19/2/13

(Week 7)

Review customer record, website and brochures

26/2/13

(Week 8)

Observation customer service process & Circulate questionnaires to customers

5/3/13

(Week 9)

Interview managers

12/3/13

(Week 10)

Interview 7 staffs

19/3/13

(Week 11)

Circulate questionnaires to customers

26/3/13

(Week 12)

Summarize, analyze and interpret data

2/4/13

(Week 13)

Prepare the research report

9/4/13

(Week 14)

Prepare the research report

16/4/13

(Week 15)

Submit Project Report

23/4/13

(Week 16)

Work on Critical Review

30/4/13

(Week 17)

Work on Critical Review

7/5/13

(Week 18)

Submit Critical Review

Risk for a task and a contingency

No

Identified Risk

Risk

Contingency

1

Delay in Project Proposal submission

Medium

Consult tutor and submit after due date

2

Delay in Project Report submission

Low

Consult tutor and submit after due date

3

Delay in Critical Review submission

Low

Consult tutor and submit after due date

4

Manager A not available for interview

Low

Make another appointment

5

Manager B not available for interview

Low

Make another appointment

6

Staffs not available and interview not finish on time

Medium

Reduce number of staff for interview

7

No corporation from customer to answer questionnaires

Low

Chance to use another instrument

8

Not much details in customer record

Low

Start collecting information from week 7

9

Viber software not working

Medium

Wait until it works or not submit viber report

Problem solving – SWOT Analysis

HELPFUL

HARMFUL

Strengths and weaknesses are often internal to organization, whereas opportunities and threats generally relate to external factors.

Strengths:

What advantages does organization have

What does organization do better than others

What unique or lowest-cost resources can organization draw upon that others cannot

What do people in market see as organization’s strengths

Weaknesses:

What could organization improve

What should organization avoid

What factors lose organization sales

Opportunities:

What good opportunities can organization spot

What interesting trends are organization aware of

Threats:

What obstacles does organization face

What are organization’s competitors doing

Are quality standards or specifications for organization’s products or services changing

Does organization have bad debt or cash-flow problems